Car-brake



(No Model.) Q

J. A. LA GROIX.

GAR BRAKE.

No. 451,328. Patented Apr. 28, 1891;

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orrica.

JOHN A. LA (/ROIX, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent No. 451,328, dated April28, 1891.

Application filed September 2, 1890. Serial No. 363,773. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN A. LA CROIX, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Car-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to make a carbrake adapted for use inconnection with my improvement in car-wheels described and claimed in myapplication, Serial No. 348,980, filed April 22,, 1890; and my inventionconsists in the features and details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a pair of car-wheelswith my improved brake in place. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one ofthe brake-plates, showing the brakeshoe in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is asection taken in the line 30f Fig. 2,1ooking in the direction of thearrow. Fig. 4 is a modified form of my invention.

I11 my application, Serial No. 348,980, I show car-wheels mounted on ajournal provided with a hole for the axle wider at its outer edges in ahorizontal plane than the diameter of the axle, which permits the wheelsto automatically change the angle between themselves and the axle whenthey strike a curve in the track or pass from a curve to straight trackagain. This capacity of movement in the wheels makes it important thatthe brake should have a similar capacity of movement, so that should thewheel change its position when the brakes are set, the position of thebrakes will change to correspond.

In making my improvement I hang the brake-shoes AA on hangers A A,suspended on a transverse rod B, supported in suitable brackets O O atthe outer sides of the carbody. The rod B is provided with a crank D,from which the brake-rod E extends along under the car. The upper endsof the brakehangers are also further supported on rods a a, suitablysupported on the under side of the car-body. The brake-shoes arepreferably attached to the brake-hangers by vertical rods F F. Atthepoint in the brake-hangers where the transverse rod 13 passes throughthem I arrange bloc-ks G in a recess or opening in the hangers wider atits outer edges than the diameter of the block. These blocks may beretained in place in their recesses by a cap or plate g. (Shown in Fig.3.) They are provided with screw-threads, the one at the one side of thewheel with righthand threads and the one at the other side of the wheelwith left-hand threads. The transverse rod B at the point where itpasses through the blocks in the brake-hangers is correspondinglyprovided with right and left handed threads. As the brake-rod E is drawnand the transverse rod B turned, the screwthreads will run thebrake-hangers with their shoes toward the wheel or from the wheel,depending upon the direction that the rod B is turned. hen it is desiredto set the brakes, it will be drawn in that direction which will run thebrake-shoes up against the sides of the wheel, so as to clasp or clampthem between the shoes, and thus secure the necessary friction to brakethe wheels, and when it is desired to release the brake the rod 13 willbe turned in that direction which will cause the brake-hangers to be runaway from the Wheels, so as to release them from the pressure of thebrake-shoes. The arrangement of the blocks G in their recesses in thebrake-hangers will permit the rod B to assume different angles withrespect to the hangers. V

In Fig. 4 Ihave dispensed with the screwthreads on the rod B and haveintroduced a compound lever suspended on a bracket II. This lever is soarranged that as the brakerod is moved in the one direction or the otherthe brake-shoes will be moved against or away from the sides of thewheels, so as to brake them or release them from the brake, as may bedesired.

As the arrangement of the compound lever will be fully understood froman inspection of Fig- 4 of the drawings, I deem it unnecessary tofurther describe it in detail.

In all the figures of the drawings I have shown a brake-shoe suspendedon a vertical rod F, which enables it to turn on such rod as an axis tocorrespond to the changes of position which the Wheels may assume ontheir axles as they pass around a curve or pass from a curve to straighttrack, and in all of 1 the figures except the last I have shownprovision for permitting the transverse rod B to assume a differentangle to the brake-hanger,

as may from time to time be necessary. I

have not shown this feature in Fig. 4, as the modification thereillustrated dispenses with the transverse rod B.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of acar-wheel adapted to shift and change the anglebetween itself and the axle, brake-shoes adapted to clamp the wheel onits sides, brake-hangers suspended to the ear-body, and a vertical rodconnectingthe brake-shoes to the brake-hangers and forming a Verticalaxis on which the brake-shoes may turn when clamping the Wheel toaccommodate themselves to varying positions of the wheel, substantiallyas described.

2. The combination of a car-wheel adapted to shift and change the anglebetween itself and the axle, brake-shoes adapted to clamp the wheel onits sides, brake-hangers suspended to the car-body and carrying thebrake-shoes, blocks arranged in holes or recesses in the hangers widerat their edges than the diameter of the blocks, the blocks in thehangers on the opposite sides of the wheel being provided with holesrespectively right and left screw-threaded, a transverse rodpassing'through the hangers and the holes of the blocks andcorrespondingly right and left screw-threaded where it passes throughthe blocks, and means to turn the transverse rod, and thereby run thebrake-hangers with their brake-shoes toward or away from the sides ofthe wheel, substantially as described.

JOHN A. LA CROIX.

\Vitnesses:

Tnos. A. BANNING, SAMUEL E. ITIBBEN.

